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April 21, 2006

Roman Tmetuchl International Airport

Palau Horizon (April 21-24)

Five Senators proposed to change the name of the country's international airport to Roman Tmetuchl International Airport. Sens. Reklai, Koshiba, Seid, Diaz, Dengokl intorduced the senate joint resolution in honor of the late Roman Tmetuchl.

"The Roman International Airport is a fitting name for Palau's international airport due to Mr. Tmetuchl's numerous years of valuabale services he provided to the Republic and for the assistance he provided in developing the airport," Senate joint resolution 7-49 said.

Comments

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Oh for christ's sake!!!! its palau or airai international airport!.Any contributions made my the late Roman Tmetuchl were not free.He got even more rich because of the airport project. Do these senator's have anything important to do? They keep coming up with these ideas to honor themselves and memorialized their families while the poor of palau are strugling everyday to provide for their families.

I refuse to believe Roman is honorable enough for us the name our only airport after him. Just leave it alone and do your jobs, you miserable Senators.

MEKREOS...the name suits you well. obviously you cawled out of you rock to say things that you don't even have a clue what you're talking about. i suggest you write to your momma or papa, even your grandparents and ask them about what Roman Tmetuchel have done to Belau. the name TMETUCHEL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IS APPROPRIETLY SOUND. QUIT WHINING!!!!!!!

The name is most fitting! The late Roman Tmetuchl was Airai's Chief Ngiraked, Airai State Government's First Governor, and the builder of the first Palau International Airpot terminal facility, the father of our independence.

Why not honor Cp. JayGee Ngirmidol Meluat who died in Iraq and Capt. John J. Kintaro who died in Vietnam? I want palauans and visitors alike never to forget their names and the ultimate sacrifice they made. To me these are real heroes of Palau the ones we should remember and never forget. No offense to Tmetuchel but he has his namesake in businesses, senatorship/coaching, and even an autobiography, he will never be forgotten.

Why honor the mercenaries who chose on their own free will to fight (and got paid for it) for someone elses war. A war that was based on fantastic intelligence. What did these two individuals do to Belau ot deserve honor(s)? Do tell.

These senators who came up with this idea are not thinking of a future of Palau but thinking of themselves...I bet this has to do with competing with "Half-staff" law that just came to light.

Why not build libraries and put their names on it as a mark of their history. This will coincide with their own autobiography. Or, name the terminal as "Roman Tmetuchel Terminal" and leave the Palau International Airport as is.

Palau is emerging young nation and with Palau international airport, it acts as a beacon of our small country. It is recognized by the world. Too complicate it, just does not make sense.

Instead of spending time coming up with this nonsense bill, why not put more effort into making a law that would create a memorial cemetery, Palau memorial wall, to all Palauans who lost their lives in World war II, Vietnam, and Irag war.

Prince Leebo. His father was so impressed by the craftsmanship displayed by Capt. Wilson's crew in rebuilding their ship, that he sent Prince Leebo to learn these skills. Unfortunately the Prince never did return. I have always wanted his body back to Palau. To me, it is an incomplete journey and begs for a homecoming. The powers to be, apparently think otherwise. The Prince Leebo International Airport, sounds good.

Ngaraboes:
I am not one to judge but if you've read the tributes to Jay Gee from other Marines who knew him they say he was a good person/friend, hard working, dilligent, and a man who loved his family. These are all very good attributes and worthy of other young palauan male/females to look up to and emulate. As for Capt. John J. Kintaro, he had a lot of the same attributes but the most telling was his tenacity to rise from the rank of private to Captain, a feat not readily accomplished in the US Military. Anyway, that's my take on the matter. As for former President Remeliik, that's a good choice also.

Ngarabras:
Man do you know me to well. You are right on with your comments that is one of the primary reasons I listed Jaygee and Capt. Kintaro as possible names for the airport. Incidently, the same airport recently received a grant from the FAA that Diaz and Seid had the audacity to waste palauan taxpayer money for their trip to Hawaii last year to which Diaz attributed to "picking up the check". So Ngarabras, is it blood money as you cleverly proposed in your comments? Why do we need to send anyone to COFA negotions anyway?, why not just have the two ambassadors meet their counter parts with the pictures of Cpl. Jaygee Meluat and Capt. Kintaro placed on chairs next to them and start from there because even one palauan life lost to any war is not worth all the COFA money in the world and that's the bottom line.

Without Mr. Roman Tmetuchl's vision and tenacity, Palau would be part of the FSM. And we would be contemplating a suitable name against the people of Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae and Yap. And the numbers tell us the eventual name would be Trukese Name of the first FSM President - Nakayama.

That is the DIFFERENCE. It was Mr. Roman Tmetuchl who wanted to see Palau an independent country apart from other (TT) islands of Micronesian, and he convinced some of our leaders to pursue that vision.

He is the principal player that secured a separate seat for Palau at the negotiating table.

And yes, the name Roman Tmetuchl is a fitting tribute to this true statesman.

this is getting out of hand... who said we should follow what other countries are doing???
naming everything after someone's contributions to the society? and why do we have to do what the "ngebard" are doing??
I thought we are an independent nation? come to think of it, we can make our own choices and decisions based on our cultures and customs.
just the other day, i heard this person who assured me that he heard it from another person - that an employer was driving his employees along the compact road to babeldaob. as they passed the capitol building, the employees asked the employer, "boss, boss, is that a mosque? can we stop so we can pray to almighty allah or mohammed??"
would you believe it? none other than these bangladesh asked for a chance to pray inside the CAPITOL.

and here we are again. doing the same thing all over again because some members of the SENATE has seen it fit to do it.

ordomel,
i have no qualms and rejections to the idea but here's a thought:
why not ask one of the SENATOR who came up with the idea, to do a complete and thorough research of RT?
everything from good to bad, from airai state, government branches(if there is), and republic of Palau. don't just mention the good ones, include everything that they deem "unwise for the public to know". don't leave everything out!

let the public view them, so they can choose whom they want.

here's another thought:
i prefer using Palauan language, such as, "DIDIUUL". why not put the name "Didiuul International Airport"? if you know the meaning of the word, very appropriate.
in this way, no hard feelings and all's fair and swell...(well?)

if i have a say in this matter, i'll tell the SENATORS to go read history books if they want their children to know what RT did or accomplished.
too, they are not "mackerel". they should do something that depicts our customs and cultures. not the "ngerbard" culture.
we did not vote for THEM to be there as a corbon copy of "ngerbard".

we are unique in many ways and, there are certain things that we, as Palauans, do and has in our cultures and customs.
we must stop this duplicating of others way of life.

question:
where do you find anything that resembles our culture or custom? i bet the only answer is at bai and museum. FORGET THE LETTERHEAD!!!

This is Ridic.......to argue about an airport name. the only reason why its Airai International Airport is because of the fact that it is located at Airai. we do not need to come up with a name because of the location or whoever built it. just name it plainly "PALAU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT" which represents our country. and whoever that we want to have their names written somewhere in that airport, build a manument for that particular person with all the information and accomplishents and contributions written on that manument.....
why hate each other and get mad at one another for a name of an airport....
a dekaukledm eke de ngoriakl...
lak mobes ra klechii belau erkid, ea kot a "klakdengmes" er kid....

rubak er a eroied, they are smart enough dude! haha, if they can maintain their office in the midst of these ludicrous bills that spew out of that place, i gots to give them props for their intelligence.

they're in office handling A LOT of money. if the people of palau are not being helped, and the money keeps running out, where's it going?

10+ years of independence along with millions of dollars to the government and all we've done is get a road on the island's whole and renew the airport...oh yeah, and mansions springing up left and right...